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Know the Anatomy of a Kayak Paddle

A kayak instructor teaches his class about the different parts of a paddle.
© 2008 by George E. Sayour
This step is the most basic of them all yet without it trying to understand the rest of the steps can be an exercise in futility. A kayak paddle, unlike a canoe paddle, has 2 blades attached to the shaft of the paddle. The shaft is the part of the paddle that you hold and the blades are the part that you pull through the water. A full understanding of these parts and the design features that go into making a kayak paddle is important for both performance and ergonomic reasons.